Hockey Edged By Trinity College in NESCAC Showdown 3-1

HARTFORD, CT (January 19, 2024) - Trinity College senior Devan Tongue scored with 2:27 remaining in regulation, then the Bantams added an empty-net goal to take a 3-1 win over Tufts University in NESCAC men's hockey action tonight.

The teams entered tonight's game as the top two points leaders in the league with Trinity's 22.5 and Tufts' 17.5. The Bantams expand their lead atop the NESCAC standings with 25.5 points, while the Jumbo fall to fourth as Bowdoin College (20 pts) and Hamilton College (19.5 pts) both won tonight.

This was a 1-1 game deep into third period thanks in large part to Tufts senior goalie Peyton Durand. He would finish with 35 saves as Trinity out-shot Tufts 38-14 overall. Bantam sophomore Devon Boback needed to make just 13 saves for his victory.

With time winding down in the third period, Trinity junior defenseman Eamon Doheny kept the puck in at the left point and sent it down to Tongue. From the left face-off dot, he picked the top left corner for the go-ahead goal.

Tufts pulled Durand with 2:08 remaining in the third, but Trinity senior Casey Rhodes broke up a play at the Jumbo blue line and skated in alone to tap home an empty net goal making it 3-1 with 20 seconds left.

Trinity, who remained unbeaten in the league at 8-0-1 (12-2-1 overall), scored first in the game. Tongue set up senior Christian Hayes out front, but the shot was saved by Durand. However, the puck ricocheted off the back boards to the front of the net where junior Nicholas Siffringer tucked it home 8:48 into the game.

Tufts tied the score in the second period after sophomore Cole Dubicki won a face-off in the Bantam end. A shot from the right point by freshman defenseman Sylas Oberting was blocked, but Oberting then intercepted the Bantam rush at the red line. He got the puck to Dubicki along the boards in the neutral zone, who sent it left to sophomore Liam O'Hare entering the zone, who then did the same over to sophomore John Mulvihill in the high slot where he scored his team-high eighth goal.

The Jumbos (8-5-2, 5-3-1) saw a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) end tonight. Trinity won its sixth straight in the series between the teams.

Tufts travels to play at Wesleyan University tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm. Trinity hosts Connecticut College at 4 pm.